Current Medicinal Chemistry - Volume 22, Issue 12, 2015

The potential role of Autotaxin (ATX) in physiological and pathological processes turned it in an attractive drug target for pharmacological therapeutic development. However, potent and selective non-lipid as well lipid inhibitors of ATX are currently not available as drugs. In this paper we tried to review all the known progress on ATX inhibition using two dimensional (2D)-Quantitative Structure Activity Relationship (QSAR) and three dimensional (3D) mapping techniques. Furthermore, we tried to compare and extract conclusions analyzing with 3D mapping techniques vastly diverse structures of non-lipid ATX inhibitors which have been reported in patents. McGowan’s Volume (MgVol) molar volume and Molar Refractivity (MR) of substituents seems to govern the ATX inhibition. 3D-mapping results point to the role of steric properties (Volume and Polar Surface Area-PSA). Steric factors are obviously important. The role of hydrophilicity was also highlighted. Electronic parameters are not found to be present.

The concept of click chemistry represented by the formation of the 1,2,3-triazole core has found wide application in drug discovery, particularly in the early discovery phases and the lead optimization process. 1,2,3-Triazoles ha ve attracted considerable attention in recent years because of their wide range of biological activities against various viruses, malignant cells, microorganisms and their inhibitory activities against several enzymes. This review emphasizes the recent advances on diverse and potent biological profiles of 1,2,3-triazolo-nucleosides, along with emerging application of click chemistry in their synthesis, and their perspective in the development of new bioactive chemical entities in the future. The work is primarily addressed to antiviral, antimicrobial and anticancer potency of this important structural motifs in which the 1,2,3-triazole ring acts as a nucleobase surrogate or is linked to a nucleobase or a sugar/sugar mimic moiety.

One-third of epileptic patients are drug refractory due to the limited efficacy of antiepileptic therapy. Thus, there is an immense need to find more effective, safer and well-tolerated antiepileptic drugs. A great deal of results suggests that adenosine (Ado), guanosine (Guo), inosine (Ino) or uridine (Urd) are endogenous antiepileptogenic modulators. Furthermore, nucleosides and their derivatives may be safe and effective potential drugs in the treatment of epilepsy. Conversely, nucleosidergic modulatory system implying nucleoside levels, metabolism, receptors and transporters may also be involved in seizure pathomechanisms. Application of Ado receptor agonists as well as antagonists, elevation of nucleoside levels (e.g., by nucleoside metabolism inhibitors, and Adoreleasing implants) or utilization of non-Ado nucleosides may also turn to be useful approaches to decrease epileptic activity. However, all drugs exerting their effects on the nucleosidergic modulatory system may affect the fine regulation of glia-neuron interactions that are intimately governed by various nucleosidergic processes. Perturbation of the complex, bidirectional communication between neurons and astrocytes through these nucleosidergic modulatory mechanisms may lead to pathological changes in the central nervous system (CNS) and therefore may cause significant side effects. Thus, a deeper understanding of the nucleosidergic modulatory control over glia-neuron interactions is essential in order to develop more effective and safe nucleoside-based antiepileptic drugs. In this review article we focus on the role of Ado and Urd in glia-neuron interactions, placing emphasis on their implications for the treatment of epilepsy.

Skin aging is an inevitable biological phenomenon of human life. Advancing age brings changes to all components of the integumentary system with consequent signs on the skin. Skin aging is mainly due to intrinsic (chronologic) and extrinsic aging (photo-aging). Photo-aging is a consequence of exposure to ultraviolet radiations. Despite variable economic conditions, the skin care market based on natural products continues to see strong growth. In this context, the research of naturally occurring anti-aging agents is greatly expanding and in recent years numerous plant-derived products have been investigated. This review article focuses on highlighting recent advances in current knowledge on anti-aging natural products grouped and presented according to their family origin. Plants from 35 families were reviewed. A variety of phytomolecules, derived in particular from polyphenols, triterpenes and sterols classes, demonstrated a promising activity. Among them carnosic acid, curculigoside, curcumin, glycyrrhizic acid, mangiferin, mirkoin, asiaticoside, rosmarinic acid, tectorigenin, tyrosol etc., able to inhibit tyrosinase, hyaluronidase, elastase, and collagenase, to scavenge free radicals from skin cells, to prevent trans-epidermal water loss, and to contribute to protect skin from wrinkles, were largely investigated and herein discussed. Extracts and pure compounds from Fabaceae, Asperaceae and Zingiberaceae families have shown particular interest and appear most promising in the development of anti-aging products.